1. Field
The disclosed embodiments relate to power converters. More specifically, the disclosed embodiments relate to a resonant-recovery technique for reducing power consumption in boost converters.
2. Related Art
Power efficiency is essential for the effective operation of portable computing devices, such as laptop computers or smartphones. One source of power dissipation is the “boost converters,” which are commonly used to convert a battery voltage to higher voltage. This higher voltage can be used, for example, to power light emitting diodes (LEDs) that provide illumination for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in portable computing devices.
There are a number of contributors to power dissipation in boost converters. “Conduction losses” arise from alternating current (AC) resistances and direct current (DC) resistances in the inductor and the associated switching devices within the boost converter. Note that there exists a tradeoff between AC and DC conduction losses, and these conduction losses can be jointly minimized by adjusting system parameters, such as operating frequency, MOSFET on resistance (Ron) and inductor characteristics of the boost converter.
Another source of power dissipation arises from the “switching losses,” which result from charging and discharging the internal capacitances within the boost converter. These switching losses can dissipate a significant amount of power, particularly so after the AC and DC conduction losses have been carefully balanced.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for reducing such switching losses in a boost converter.